Mary Kate Pleggenkuhle of MKTG Chicago and founder of Obvi, We’re the Ladies!

We’re bringing back employee spotlights, and this month’s spotlight is on our very own Mary Kate Pleggenkuhle from MKTG Chicago. Check out her Q&A below to catch a glimpse into what makes Mary Kate..well…Mary Kate!

Name: Mary Kate Pleggenkuhle

Position: Project Manager

Office: Chicago

Hometown: Elk Grove Village, Illinois

How long have you been with MKTG?: 2 years

Blurb on the back of your business card: “We’ll give you 50 bucks if you can say Mary Kate’s last name 10 times fast. We have no idea what the name means, but knowing this girl it could mean anything from 1) a complex philosophical theory (she’s been keeping a journal since age 11), 2) A synonym for whistling (she’s very good at whistling), or 3) The sound of terrible table manners (drives her absolutely nuts). Either way, what a name, right?”

What are you passionate about outside of work? Outside of MKTG, my passion project is called “Obvi, We’re The Ladies.” It’s a website I started my senior year of college.

Why did you decide to start X? I was so hungry for some kind of awakening and purpose while in college. I became very interested in women’s issues and feminism, and wanted to get a better understanding of how being a woman affected my identity as a human being. The concept of the site started as an opportunity for me to document my journey to understand these things better. I was going to write about my experiences in the world as a young woman, and hopefully find some people who would connect with me on a personal level, and in turn we would learn that we weren’t alone. I wanted to talk about women’s issues in a way that wasn’t generalizing or preaching or patronizing or disparaging to others with differing opinions, I wanted to talk about the issues in a way that was personal. Quickly, as more women became interested and involved, I found the purpose I had been searching for in the site I created!

Who else is involved? – I have an amazing team working on Obvi, and we’re constantly growing. I have two of my oldest friends, a few of my college friends and a whole bunch of women that I met through social media contributing essays. It’s amazing. A small portion of our team assists with editing, social media, and other behind the scenes responsibilities, and I run the ship. Some of the Ladies are my best friends, and I’ve still never met them in person!

What are your plans to launch? On May 1, 2016 we are launching a video series that we have been working on it for what seems like forever, and finally have all of the resources we need to complete the project. It’s so exciting. The series will feature some of our Ladies as well as some friends from other Chicago women’s groups discussing feminism, womanhood, and societal beauty standards (to name a few topics). We want to provide a platform to help educate people who want to better understand some issues in a way that is palatable and entertaining. I can’t wait to share it.

What are you hoping to accomplish? – At Obvi, we believe that storytelling is activism. We share stories about things that may seem trivial to some, and things that are extremely serious, because regardless, that story matters to the Lady telling it. I hope that as time goes on, we can evolve the ways in which we share stories from written word and video to in-person programs and beyond.

To follow Mary Kate on her social channels, check out her handles below!